Unbreakable
by Decembers-sin
Summary: What went on in the past was only rudimentary
1. Prologue

Prologue  
  
She sat in the gardens of the Forgotten City. All alone. Her knees brought to her chest and her mind somewhere else.  
  
"Those red eyes'" she thought, mesmerized.  
  
She smiled to herself. Never had she met such a mysterious being apart from Cloud's erratic past in the life stream. The mystery that lay behind her new found love was beyond imaginable. The darkness that surrounded him gave a whole new meaning to the word lust. The dark aura had a mixture of Satanism and innocence together. Just picturing him made her skin tingle.  
  
The sharp features, the golden-pale skin, the think luscious lips that made silk look rough and coarse, the long dark purple hair that swirled in the artic winds of the Northern Cave complimented his masculine physique enclosed in a blood red robe of leather.  
  
Her thoughts focused on his face. Behind the crimson windows was the painful past of experimentation and an undying love. What went on in the past was only rudimentary. The picture of dark colors was only a shade of grey on an open canvas. The details have yet to be crafter and the story has yet to be told.  
  
Forgive me for the short paragraph. There will be more to come. I just need feedback. Its my first time. Thanks. 


	2. Midgar

Chapter 1: Midgar  
  
The vibrant golden of the Sun shone over the cliffs of Cosmo Canyon. The beat of the drums echoed through the red valley like a giant's heartbeat signaling the start of a brand new day. The village bustled with activity as the people poured into the streets lined with markets packed with all sorts of greens, hairpins, armor and materia ranging from the infamous Ultima to Barrier. Activity was high and intense as bargains were made and goods were sold at alarming rates. It was an endless morning of adrenaline packed activity.  
  
"Daddy, daddy! Wake up! That golden thing is in the sky again!" chirped Tiger, one of Red XIII's sons.  
  
Tiger kept tugging and tugging at his father's mane till he was flat out of energy. He bit and he pulled but his dad still continued his journey of deep peaceful slumber in the land where everything floated and nothing sank. He jumped and he scratched hoping to wake up the hero of the town, but for a moment, the hero looked like a worthless zero. Tiger stepped back and examined his sleeping father. His masculine chest was moving up and down slowly and steadily, the fiery red coat was losing its color but was as vibrant as ever. It even outshined the cub's own young coat. The tattoos were contrasting against the red fur and brought out the fighting spirit in the sleeping icon. The stories he heard from the village elders about his dad were astounding and amazing. How he helped defeat Meteor and Sephiroth. How he went into the Northern Cave and defeated Jenova. It was all very fascinating. The cub was deep in thought when his twin sister, Leela came bounding in like a crazed bunny rabbit.  
  
"Daddy, daddy that thing is in the... Mom! Daddy is being a fat chocobo again!" screeched the little cub. She looked at her dad with her big, round blue eyes and smacked his nose with her tiny paw. He did not budge. She heard one of her brothers running towards the cave.  
  
"Dad's turned into a fat chocobo? Cool! I wanna see!" chimed Nanaki, who was named after his Grandfather. He bobbed into the cave, waving his still growing mane around for all to see as he was the oldest of the lot. As he walked in, he did not see a hint of yellow in the premises except for the glow of the Sun. He examined the room and found his younger brother and sister still trying to wake up their dad.  
  
"Hey, one of you said that he turned into a fat chocobo. So, why isn't he big, fat and yellow?!" bellowed Nanaki, looking at his young, terrified siblings, whose eyes nearly popped out of their heads trying to plead forgiveness.  
  
Leela got the courage to stand up and speak out to her brother. Nanaki was quite the bully in the litter. Just because he was the first born and was named after their grandfather, he thought he was the greatest. He abused his authority as an older brother and constantly made fun of the younger ones. Leela was sick of it. So were the other young ones but none had the courage to stand up to him until now.  
  
"Did not! I said he was BEING a fat chocobo. Not turned into one!" Leela yelled in protest, her voice squeaking beyond recognition.  
  
"I did not know the oldest was also the first to go deaf, dumb, blind and stupid!" she screeched and started to make a run for the door when Nanaki sped forward and blocked the entrance with his still developing body.  
  
Anger and humiliation was written all over his aquiline face and there was a purple flash in his eyes showing the rage that had built inside of him after the remark passed on by his sister. He was breathing hard and fast and his claws were stuck out ready to strike. Leela stood in front of him, obviously terrified but tried her best not to panic. Her eyes widened as Nanaki's shadow covered her small trembling body. She felt his hot breath on her head. She looked up and slowly tried to move away from him to make a dash for the door. However, not matter how hard she tried to make it for the door; he always managed to block her path. He was too fast for her and this made her extremely mad. Her warrior instincts were brought to life my a sudden jolt out of nowhere and the next thing she knew, she was on top of her brother, scratching his face ferociously with her claws and gnawing at his ear. The taste of blood in her mouth was salty yet she enjoyed it.  
  
Nanaki was utterly surprised at the strength that was hidden behind the innocent face of his younger sister. She was totally barbaric and was on a No-Mercy-To-Nanaki roll. She scratched and bit and hit till he was totally sore. He fought back but her attacks were twice the amount he could handle and twice as painful as his. She was too fast for him in battle. He looked over his crazed sister and saw Tiger standing in a corner, staring at Leela in obvious admiration. His little mouth hung open that even Jupiter could fit itself in with utmost comfort. His eyes shone with such brilliance that blinded Nanaki and made him utterly jealous of his younger sister. Overcome with envy, he pushed his sister back with such force that made her bang against the cave wall with a sickening thud. She lay on the floor, whining in pain. He got up and staggered over. Tiny drops of blood followed behind him as he walked up to her.  
  
"You'll pay," he growled. He raised his paw and was about to strike her tiny body when he heard a roar and felt Tiger jump onto him like a brick. Tiger continued his sister's legacy by continuously striking Nanaki, as fast as he could. Tiger looked over at his twin who was still lying on the floor, still breathing but not moving. He knocked Nanaki in the face, hard and fast and ran to his sister's aid.  
  
"You ever great man.. Totally awesome," he chided, licking her face.  
  
Just then, Rau came into the room with bags of groceries and stood at the entrance obviously horrified by sight that greeted her. The place was in a total mess. Her eldest son was on the floor, covered in blood, her twins in one corner of the room cleaning themselves and her husband lying motionless on the floor. Both anger and worry flared within her soul as she ran towards Nanaki and asked what happened.  
  
Nanaki gave a detailed description of what happened. Right down to the very last drop of blood that was leading to where the twins were cuddling together in fear of their mother.  
  
"What was your father doing while this feud was going on?" Rau questioned the twins.  
  
"He was sleeping Mommy," they wailed and burst into tears.  
  
Horrified by her husband's behavior, she turned, went over to where her husband was sleeping and kicked him hard in the stomach, which sent him flying to the roof.  
  
"Hey.what gives?" he asked in shock.  
  
"Just what do you think you are doing sleeping like a damned fat chocobo while our cubs were having the battle of the century?! And I mean there was blood and pain and a whole mess in the house!" she screamed, angry and disappointed in her husband.  
  
Red XIII got up and was totally blown way by the mess that greeted him with a mixture of the scent of blood in the air. He had no idea what had happened and was totally clueless of what he was going to do next. He looked at his twins and saw that they were OK but when he turned to Nanaki, he was utterly shocked and amused. Nanaki stood before his father with blood dripping from his coat and his hairpin damaged. Nanaki was panting and he looked absolutely pathetic.  
  
"Care to explain, son?" he said with a hint of amusement in his voice.  
  
"She hit me dad! Leela hit me! Tiger too!" he whined uncontrollably, unaware of the presence of his twin siblings and his Mom. He looked like a cub whining about not having a new hairpin. He slapped and stomped on the floor unaware of the amused look on his father's face. When he looked up, Red XIII maintained his serious stature and looked directly at his twins. Both of them were terrified. They did not know that their dad was going to do to them. Heaven knows the kind of power he possessed in his mighty physique.  
  
"Daddy, daddy all we wanted to do was to wake you up and tell you that that weird golden thing is in the sky again! We did not mean to hit Nanaki. He wanted to attack Leela first!" said Tiger in his and his twin's defence.  
  
Red XIII looked over to his wife to find that she and Nanaki had gone out to treat the wounds on his body. He looked down at his cubs and saw their big blue eyes staring at him, pleading for forgiveness. He felt a sudden warmth and sympathy for his little cubs.  
  
"Come with me," he said gently and led them out to the canyons behind their cave.  
  
"What you did to Nanaki was wrong. I know he started it but it was not right to injure him so brutally. Let me teach you how to attack without causing any bloodshed," he said.  
This surprised the twins. Their father was teaching them how to fight. He never taught Nanaki how to fight. He let Nanaki learn on his own. They were learning from the master. They were overwhelmed with joy and excitement. They looked at each other wide eyed and ran over to their dad and jumped on top of him, licking his face in utmost appreciation.  
  
"Whoa, you guys are heavy. Definitely have grown a lot," he said with pride.  
  
Red XIII was delighted that he could teach his young twins a thing or two about combat. The damage they did to Nanaki was impressive for first- timers. He saw that they had inherited their fighting spirit from him as he did from his father. He was willing to keep that spirit up and hoped that what he taught the twins today would follow them for the rest of their lives.  
  
The morning passed in a matter of minutes and they were heading off to the house when Tiger popped a question.  
  
"Daddy, what is that weird golden thing in the sky?" he asked, shielding his eyes with his tiny paws.  
  
"It's what you call the Sun," Red XIII explained.  
  
"At least now I know that the two of you won't be fighting with Nanaki anymore over the Sun," he chuckled and went into his home where he was greeted with the fresh aroma of lunch.  
  
He looked around the cave and saw that his wife had cleaned up the blood stains and was busy preparing their meal while Nanaki sat in the corner of a room recovering himself with healing herbs. They exchanged greetings and were silent again.  
  
Lunch was a silent affair. No one talked at the floor except the twins who were highly excited about the Sun and kept asking a million questions at a go. They were also jabbering on about the fighting lesson that was given to them by their infamous dad. Red XIII sensed a hint of jealousy in Nanaki's spirit but he chose to ignore because he felt that his son deserved the beating from being a bully. Not that he was being biased but it was the right thing to do. He also sensed anger from his wife. Anyone could sense Rau's anger even all the way from Midgar. He braced himself for what was going to happen next.  
  
"Fighting lessons?! What were you thinking!" she screeched, throwing her paws in the air and pacing up and down the room, shaking her head.  
  
"Can't we talk about this later? I have to go meet Cloud at Midgar," he said calmly and left the room. He knew he was wrong for doing that but he was not in the mood for getting battered up by his wife over fighting lessons.  
  
As he stepped out of the canyon, he saw the massive cliffs surrounding him. All red and orange. He never found anything so beautiful apart from his wife. He started in a slow run, pacing himself over the unleveled roads and passages, slowly picking up speed and headed towards Midgar, where his old friend Cloud was waiting for him. 


	3. Cloud

Chapter 2: Cloud  
  
"Another Hero's Drink, please," Cloud requested politely to the young bartender. He scanned the bar again, hoping to find a hint of that distinct fiery red fur in the midst of the barbaric crowd at the bar where Tifa and Barrett worked. Past events rushed through his mind again like a silent movie. From the first time they met till the very last departure after the defeat of Sephiroth, Meteor and Jenova.  
  
He remembered his comrades such as Cid Highwind, the reckless but passionate pilot whose high wind was blown to bits after the final battle at the Northern Cave. He remembered Vincent Valentine, the silent figure of mystery who roamed around in his red leather coat, possessing huge amounts of chaos within the clothed barriers of crimson. He remembered Yuffie Kisaragi, the bubbly 16-yr-old who was highly skilled with the boomerang and was a well renowned mateira thief; one would still be amused at how she handled herself and how the gang actually went all out to find her for their lost or should I say stolen materia. Then there was Cait Sith, a bumbling white puppet controlled by a man known as Reeves. Not much was known about him but he was a great help in the battles fought towards the end. Cloud still kept close links with Tifa and Barrett as he was living in Midgar together with the group Avalanche in the slums. They made him feel at home. Tifa and Cloud often talked about going back to their hometown, Nebelheim but with business still bustling in Midgar, it was hard to leave all the activity the shabby town had to offer. He missed all of them. He missed being around people who had one common goal in mind; that was to save the world and all of humankind from Meteor, Sephiroth and Jenova.  
  
However, his heart ached whenever he thought of the flower girl, Aeris Gainsborough. The Ancient who took his breath away when he first met her in Midgar selling flowers on the streets. Her big, round emerald green eyes were a site fit for only those who dreamt of an eternal life. Her personality was that of an angle who was sent down from the Heavens to guard the lives of people on Earth. Her death struck a chord deep down inside when he had to bury her in the lake of the Forgotten City, which shone of the most brilliant crystals anyone could ever imagine. The serene look on her face made him weak in the knees and almost made him cry out in anguish when Sephiroth struck her chest with his long sword, allowing her sweet sacred blood to flow and touch the land of the Ancients. Cloud missed her so much that even thinking about her brought tears to his eyes which he obviously tried to hide from the world.  
  
"Here's your drink, Spiky," growled Barrett, bring Cloud back to his senses, as he slammed the mug onto the countertop, spilling some of it onto Cloud's pants. Cloud glared at him in angst, but holding back the desire to punch the ebony man's rugged, chiseled face.  
  
"Who yer waitin' for?" he questioned with a hint of disinterest because he only wanted to strike up a conversation with the 'Spiky-ass', so to speak.  
  
"Red XIII is coming down from the Canyons. He should be here soon," replied Cloud icily. He did not like the way Barrett was treating him. Barrett had a change of attitude towards Cloud after the defeat of Meteor. He treated Cloud like a retard because he felt that Tifa was obsessing about Cloud. There was a time when people thought Tifa and Cloud had something going on between them but after the final battle, they have seemed to have gone their separate ways. Still close, but there was an invincible shield just keeping them apart. Lately, Tifa had been distracted from her work and her continual practice at the gym. She was always in a daze, sometimes muttering the word 'Cupid' and walking around the room, hugging herself. Barrett was kind of disturbed by her behavior. The once tough girl he knew was turning into a softie and it scared the hell out of him. He solely blamed Cloud for her unruly behavior.  
  
Cloud felt a hard tug on his shoulder. He turned around to find a pair of brilliant mahogany orbs staring back into his ice blue sapphires, full or excitement and enthusiasm. He felt two strong yet delicate hands grab the sides of his head and started shaking it furiously followed by high- pitched girlish squeals from the most unlikely person, Tifa.  
  
"Red is coming down?! Why didn't you say so earlier?!" she chirped making Barrett sick with disgust. It was a first for everyone to hear Tifa squeal. It was astonishing and also a little awkward.  
  
"I wanted it to be a surprise," Cloud lied, avoiding her eyes. She could always see right through him. But lately, he has been good enough to hide his feelings. It was part of that invincible shield that was created without notice and a shield that would remain there forever.  
  
The real reason Cloud wanted Red to come down was because he wanted to leave Midgar for a while and visit Aeris's grave in the Forgotten City. He wanted Red to accompany him on his journey. Red was the only person he could have a certain type of conversation with and Red was someone who knew when to leave a person in distress alone. Red was someone Cloud could rely on for that invincible moral support. Tifa tended to be too concerned for others that she could sometimes become a nuisance. Cloud wanted to make this trip alone with Red and that was final. Many a times he thought about asking along the whole gang but it would be best if he only asked one.  
  
Cloud was deep in thought. He was thinking about how to get to the Forgotten City. He would need a Green, Black or Golden Chocobo for that. He had a Chocobo farm down at Choco Bill's. He would make a short trip down and get a Chocobo and head on down to the Forgotten City. From there he would know what to do. He knew exactly where Aeris was buried and he knew exactly what flowers to bring, roses. The very flowers he bought from Aeris when he first met her.  
  
He remembered every event that occurred when he first met her. It was like a second life line that ran through his body that never died out. The scent of her hair, the rosy colored clothes she was wearing, the worn out boots and her hair hanging loosely around her long, elegant neck that complimented her oval shaped face and aquiline nose.  
  
"Would you like to buy a flower, sir?" she asked politely. That was how they got acquainted for the very first time, then to part ways and meet again later in battle where he saved her. Cloud was ravishing in his thoughts when he felt something cold running down his back. It was stinging cold. It made him jump right out of his chair and smash his thoughts into a million pieces. He heard hoards of laughter.  
  
"Hey dreamer-boy, stop drooling!" someone shouted over the waves of laughter. He turned back and saw Tifa and Barrett having a good laugh of their own.  
  
"Oh Aeris..." Barrett said in squeaky sort of manner. Barrett looked at Cloud and burst out laughing harder than ever.  
  
"I'm going out of the city to wait for Red. Can't take it inside here anymore," he told Tifa and left with roars and whoops trailing after him. Cloud shuddered in disgust and slapped himself for letting his thoughts out in such a barbaric place. He'd rather tell Ochu than have drunks laugh at him. He walked slowly down the dirt path past brightly lit shops and bars when he came across the very spot he bumped into Aeris. His heart had that distinct ache again and his throat felt tight and dry. He stood there for awhile and imagined her spirit standing there, looking as radiant as ever. He felt something shuffle behind him. He turned around and saw a large figure, under the dim street breathing heavily like a wild animal. The creature took slow steady steps towards Cloud. Ready for battle, Cloud reached for his Ultima Weapon and positioned himself, ready for battle. Cloud waited silently for the beast to walk on forward. The creature then stepped into the light and it turned out to be Barrett.  
  
"Care to attack me now, Spiky?" he sneered.  
  
"Oh, it's you," muttered Cloud, sighing with relief.  
  
"She's gone ya know. Nothin' gonna bring her back to ya. Can be all sissy if ya want but it ain't gonna do ya any good. Believe me," Barrett comforted Cloud in a very nonchalant manner. Cloud was touched but hid it from Barrett.  
  
"I know," Cloud whispered.  
  
They shared a moment of silence and Barrett went back to the bar, strutting like a proud beast. More of a grizzly bear than a beast. Clumsy looking.  
  
He turned back to the spot again. Looked to the sky decorated with billions of stars twinkling like diamonds in the sky, with the Moon looking as tranquil as ever, as if signifying the death of an angle.  
  
"I love you Aeris Gainsborough," he whispered as single tear rolled down his smooth skin which shone a pale blue in the light of the full moon.  
  
He took one final look at the spot and headed towards the entrance of the city. Walking slowly, he reached the entrance and was distracted by the glow of a small fire at the end of a string.  
  
"Red is here," he thought and headed out into the open grass plains.  
  
"It has been awhile, Cloud," bubbled Red.  
  
"I'd know that tail anywhere, my friend," chirped Cloud and exchanged a long hug with his animal friend.  
  
They walked down to the beach and sat on the smooth, fine sands and watched the waves crash gracefully onto the cliffs nearby. They were silent for a moment. That's what Cloud treasured the most when he was with Red. That certain silence meant that lots have been exchanged just through a simple hug and vivid greetings. It was peaceful. It wasn't one of those noisy gatherings where there was beer clanking and whoops of utter nonsense.  
  
"You miss her, don't you?" questioned Red. He knew what went through Cloud's mind at the back of his paw. There was no escaping his keen senses. Cloud couldn't use his mask against Red. It was inadequate when it came to him.  
  
"I need to ask a favor," said Cloud turning to face Red.  
  
Red tilted his head and perked his ears up.  
  
"What's up?" he questioned, concerned.  
  
"I need you to follow me to the Forgotten City. I want to visit her grave," whispered Cloud, looking intently at Red hoping to get a positive reply.  
  
"Where are the flowers then?" Red questioned, looking at Cloud with his dark brown eyes. They smiled.  
  
Cloud's heart flooded with gratitude and he bent forward to give his friend a hug again and got up, brushing off the sand. They shared another silent moment just looking out at the dark purple sea with the reflection of the moon bouncing of the surface of the water, making it sparkle like a black diamond. With a sigh both turned around and headed for the city. They walked in silence, enjoying the calm of the night and cool of the breeze.  
  
The lights of Midgar were visible in the distance and anyone could tell that it was a city of color, life, booze and sex. Its tall towers standing mighty and slightly damaged from Meteor and its fluorescent lights flashing like crazed fireflies. Cloud was not all enthusiastic about going back to the city but his bed awaited him and Tifa would be worried sick if he did not show up.  
  
The duo stepped into the bar where Tifa and Barrett worked and were greeted heartily with a few amused stares coming from the bunch that were present at the previous embarrassing scene.  
  
"Hey macho!" squealed Tifa, taking Red by shock. He shot a confused look at Barrett who greeted him with a wave and shook his head in response to Red's confusion.  
  
Tifa kept yacking away about the bar and how much she missed the gang. Her hands were flying all over the place that people thought she was dead drunk and was talking gibberish. Red was totally fascinated by the change that had taken place in Tifa over the past couple of years. He was at a loss for words.  
  
The night passed and the bar was empty. Only the song of the crickets could be heard outside the narrow streets of Midgar. Tifa still was not done talking. Barrett had to grab her by the waist and throw her into her room. She was totally bonkers. The three males had nothing to say but to just shake their heads while standing outside her bedroom in the slums. They heard her change into her night clothes. It was perverted of them but she was drunk and she was worse than Barrett when he was angry. She kept talking to herself and when she hit the lights, she muttered something that knocked them off their socks.  
  
"I like pink," was all the muttered and yawned while plopping down onto her bed and then rolling onto the floor with a loud thud. She didn't wake up even then.  
  
"She never liked pink. She practically despised it. She's gone mental," all three males muttered and headed off to their bunks, shuddering in disgust.  
  
"Our journey begins tomorrow Red," whispered Cloud in the dark.  
  
"Tomorrow it is, my friend. Tomorrow it is," muttered Red in between yawns.  
  
"Good night, Aeris," whispered Cloud, as he said a prayer before laying his head down on the pillow and drifting off to sleep. 


	4. The Invincible Wall

Chapter 3: The Invincible Wall  
  
"Not a day goes by,  
Without a tear in my eye,  
That rolls down my cheek  
And makes me high.  
The sadness is strong  
But the feeling is not shown  
Everyday a tear is bred anew,  
And follows the same path over,  
And over again.  
I need you to stop that tear.  
I need you to suppress my sadness.  
I need you close to my heart,  
Where your breath is warm,  
And sweet."  
-Cloud  
  
"There," said Cloud, finishing up his poem for Aeris. She came to him in his dreams the day before he went to visit her grave. In a curding flash, he got up and wrote down a string of words like pearls from the sacred seas. In his dream, she looked as radiant as ever, her emerald eyes were sparkling like precious gems and her mahogany hair flowing around her body like exotic vines. She had on the same rosy colored dress, and tattered brown boots but she looked as alive as any living being. She looked so real. She was surrounded by a very angelic aura that was welcoming and warm. Cloud felt himself reaching forward. His hand was very close to her supple face when she vanished into thin air leaving him sitting upright on his bed, missing her once again.  
  
After writing his poem, he lay down again and tried to sleep. However, the dream he had was still in the midst of his thoughts that he could not even bring himself to sleep and let the dream vanish. Staying up all night, he could only indulge himself in the songs of the insects in the open fields and the snores of Barrett and Red. He could hear Tifa in talking in her sleep about chipmunks and dwarfs. Getting up, he put on his robe and headed for the door to get some fresh air from the outside world. He stepped out onto the narrow streets and walked slowly to the entrance of the city. The fluorescent lights were out and the city was in total darkness except for a few street lights still burning a dim green under the dark night sky. He dug his hands deep into his pockets and continued walking. The night wind was cool against his skin and there was a sense of peacefulness in the air.  
  
He liked being alone. It gave him plenty of time to think and also a lot of things to think about without people interrupting his thoughts. He walked out through the high metal doors of the city and reached the shore line where he and Red were before heading off to bed. He spotted a high rock at the end of the shore line and made his way there. Climbing up the rock with great agility, he plopped down on its smooth surface and looked out at the sea. Its waves were gentle and calm. The ripples looked like tiny fishes on a piece of purple-black silk. The sky complimented the sea with the moonbeams bouncing off the surface and the stars lit up the night sky like tiny little candles of diamonds, twinkling like flitting fireflies. He closed his eyes and transported his thoughts to a place where he would be able to calm and compose himself.  
  
He took out a piece of paper he had in his pocket and started writing.  
  
"I see that the flowers have started to weep.  
I see that the rainbow has started to fade.  
I see the sky turn from pink to grey.  
I see the night as the beginning of eternity,  
But there is a light  
In the distance.  
It glows of tranquility.  
I see you standing in the light,  
Your face the soft glow of an angel's.  
I see your eyes,  
A mighty majesty of red and gold.  
I feel your warmth on my skin,  
As the light gets brighter,  
I feel the sweet taste of honey and summer  
On my lips as my soul flies away into space and beyond,  
Leaving my body on the green meadows of white and pink."  
  
"Why are your meadows white and pink? I thought meadows are green?" he heard a whisper, making him jump. He turned around and saw Tifa. She had on her satin red robe which reflected the moonbeams of her body, making it look sensuous. Her hair was down and hanging in tendrils and she had on a pair of bunny slippers with whiskers protruding from the sides of the rabbits' faces. She had a cheeky look and her face which made her look round and pink.  
  
"Whatcha doin?" she questioned him, speaking in whispers, with a twinkle in her eye.  
  
"Not much. Just writing," he said with a shrug, stuffing the piece of paper in his deep in his pocket. His face felt hot after Tifa found him out, writing a poem. He felt embarrassed. The unexpected arrival of her also made him stand still in shock.  
  
"What are you doing out so late?" he asked her, slowly regaining breath control.  
  
"Nah. It's nothing. Just could not sleep and I heard you leave your room, so I followed you," she chirped, despite the late hours where one would be a walking zombie with dark eyes rings, messy hair and a lifeless attitude.  
  
"I did not know you were a poet. When did you start?" she asked, her eyes growing with curiosity.  
  
Cloud blushed a little. He never knew he could write poetry. He never considered his writings as poetry, just mere words not arranged in proper grammar, using objects or animals as substitutes of feelings that he was feeling. He was quite pleased Tifa appreciated his work and a little flattered. He looked down and scratched his still spiky head and dug his toes in the ground, grinning slightly.  
  
"It's my second, so far. No big deal. They are not very good yet," he mumbled while playing with the pen in his pocket. He felt a little awkward with Tifa. It was an unexplainable feeling he had always felt after the battle at the Northern Cave. It was as if she changed into someone he did not know or he changed into someone she did not know. It was quite confusing and frustrating. He could never bring himself to talk to her about the things they used to talk about before. Exchanging ideas about all sorts of topics ranging from art to battle tactics made them really close friends, almost like brother and sister, but the past was the only memory Cloud had of them being jovial and carefree. He missed the times they spent together. He missed them a lot. He felt that the wall was growing thicker and thicker every minute. One day, the wall would be impenetrable.  
  
Tifa on the other hand, felt that she would not want to get any closer to Cloud than she already is. She preferred the space in between them. There was a time where she was deeply in love with him. But when Aeris came along, he diverted his attention to her instead of Tifa. Tifa tried everything to get his attention and win him back but it only made him treat her like an ordinary friend. Sometimes ordinary friends can become lovers but for their case, it would remain at that level forever. She still loved him but she knew her limits. She would not want to tarnish what she was already left with. A broken-hearted Cloud. She often dreamt that she and Cloud would be an item. She spent most of her time with him. She was always there when he needed moral support. She missed him so much when he was away working for SOLDIER. She cried herself to sleep most of the time, wishing he was there to comfort and console her. She gave him her heart but he never returned.  
  
"Tifa, are you okay?" Cloud asked, concerned. He saw that her eyes were rimmed with signs of tears that sparkled in the night sky. Her lower lip quivered slightly and she had her hand over her heart, clutching it as if she were in pain. She never responded. She just kept looking down at the smooth rock she was standing on. The gentle breeze whipped her hair into tiny swirls, making it look soft and silky like the sea.  
  
Tifa was broken from the bonds of her deep thoughts when she felt Cloud shaking her. The tears that were present in her eyes rolled down her smooth, flawless cheek, spilling on the floor, shattering into a million droplets catching each ray of the moon. She looked deep into Cloud's sapphire, Mako blue eyes and saw the presence of pain. Not the kind of pain that way physical but the pain of losing a loved one. A loved one who took his breath away. A loved one who brought him to tears upon her death. She remembered clearly what Cloud did after Aeris died. She found him in the Chocobo breeding room of the High wind, crouched in a corner holding a small blood covered blade in his hand. She saw a crimson puddle on the floor in front of him.  
"Cloud, what are you doing?!" she screamed and ran towards him. When he turned around, he looked pained beyond his years. His eyes were distant and his face was pale. She grabbed his bloodied left arm and saw the deep slash on this skin which ran from the wrist to the elbow. She looked at him and saw his eyes wet with tears. For as long as she knew him, he never cried. No matter how much pain the wound caused, he never cried. But this time, it wasn't the wound. It was Aeris.  
  
"I miss her, Tifa," he whispered, his voice quivering. Tifa stood there helpless not knowing what to do. She had no idea how to comfort him. She was angry and horrified at the sight and thought of what he had done. She thought that he knew better. She helped him up, hoisting his arm across her shoulder and brought him to the bunk room. She sat him down on the bed and went to get the cure materia. She held it above his arm and in a blinding green flash, the wound was healed leaving a scar behind, reminding him of his foolish behavior.  
  
Tifa saw the scar on his arm. The gash was still there, visible even under the moonlight. Tifa looked at him and saw that he wasn't the boy or man she used to know. He had grown up beyond his years. The spark in his eyes was only a dimly lit flame after the years following the defeat of Meteor and the death of Aeris. She wanted to shake him so badly to make him forget whatever happened in the past and hold him, but the past had such a deep impact on everyone's lives that nothing could make them forget every detail of the events. It was apart of them.  
  
"Tifa, are you okay?" she heard Cloud say. She felt something warm grab her face. She looked up and saw herself staring right into his orbs, his palms on her cheeks. He looked concerned.  
  
"Want to talk about it?" he questioned her. She shook her head in silence and sniffed. She turned around slowly and started heading back to the city. She did not want to look back. She did not want to be reminded of the past events. It brought her too much pain.  
  
"Good night, Tifa," Cloud whispered under his breath as he saw her walking away slowly. She was bothered about something. She went all silent when she saw the scar. Cloud lifted his arm and examined it. He felt foolish for doing what he did that day. He did not know how to forgive himself or to even erase the scar from his arm. It was permanent. It was apart of him. He looked up and saw that Tifa was gone.  
  
Tifa made her way through the narrow dimly lit streets of Midgar to the slums. She wanted to get away from Cloud. She needed to get away from him. She went into her room and packed the bare essentials and headed out to Choco Bill's Farm. There was only one place that would calm her nerves down and that was the Forgotten City. 


End file.
